Triptych cinematographic system

ABSTRACT

A cinematographic system is provided comprising three motion picture projectors and three projection screens for films on which the projections are made, each projector having a motor driven zoom lens and toning disc, means for synchronizing the operation of the three projectors, means for correlating the action of the zoom lens and toning disc at each projector and audience participation selection or control means acting on said zoom lens and toning disc correlating means through appropriate circuitry including a computer having a memory bank, whereby the scenes and sequences projected on the screens can be modified and mutations obtained in various respects by the audience and/or retrieved from the memory bank.

United States Patent l 13,602,582

[72] Inventor Ugo 'lorricelli 2,953,964 9/1960 Dresser 352/71 239 Central Park West, New York, NY. 1,806,452 /1931 Fu1gora.. 352/ 10024 1,869,275 7/1932 Planer 352/40 [21] Appl. No. 759,118 2,053,689 9/1936 Barnes 352/42 [22] Filed Sept. 11,1968 2,090,270 8/1937 Swanson..... 353/76 X [45] Patented Aug. 31, 1971 2,419,041 4/1947 Stewart 352/133 X I Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews s4 TRIPTYCH CINEMATOGRAPHIC SYSTEM ""g ilalhews 4Claims,5 Drawing r a :4tlorney-- aco san aco s [52] us. c|. 352/40,

352,41 352/131, 352/133 ABSTRACT: A cinematographic system is provided compris- [51] Int. Cl G03b 21/32 ing three motion picture projectors and three projection Field of Search 352/40, 41, Screens f films on which the projections are made each 42, 85, 131, 133, 99, 135, 7 72; 35/ 353/63, jector having a motor driven zoom lens and toning disc, means for synchronizing the operation of the three projectors, means for correlating the action of the zoom lens and toning disc at [56] References cued each projector and audience participation selection or control UNITED STATES PATENTS means acting on said zoom lens and toning disc correlating 2,928,311 3/1960 Strauss 352/131X means through appropriate circuitry including a computer 3,205,765 9/1965 Zoltai.... '352/133 X having a memory bank, whereby the scenes and sequences 3,225,648 12/1965 Toler 353/85 X projected on the screens can be modified and mutations ob- 3,225,652 12/1965 Sauppe 353/85 X tained in various respects by the audience and/or retrieved 2,918,843 12/1959 Smith 352/ fromthe memory bank.

INPUT OUTPUT COMPUTER 2Q PATENTED mm mm SHEEI 1 OF 2 PROJ ECTORS -5 RELAY BANK Z T U P T U 0 L m m T N NS I ON 0 fifi m EP D m l E C A b f/m I a 8 3 b c COMPUTER FIG. 2

TONING DISC ZOOM LENS PROJECTOR REDUCTION ATTORNEYS .PATENIEU Ausal IEIII 3.602.582

' sum 2 or 2 I ED DEEP G Fla. 3

' Laws "CENTER I 5o -z0oM 20% zoom 8TONE l3 a. TONE l I IIIIH i j:.' ll I 17 .5 w l3 -43 Is 2..-

I i I I" III I" I I" W PROJECTED IMAGES SCALED 8| TONED BY AUDIENCE DEMAND -FIG. 4

PROJECTED IMAGES ON SINGLE SCREEN USING THREE PROJECTORS AND ASSOCIATED ZOOM AND 5 TONING DEVICES I I I INVI'JNI'OK. UGO TORRICELLI TRIPTYCI-I' CINEMATOGRAPI-IIC SYSTEM The present invention relates to a cinematographic system comprising three motion picture projectors andthree projection screens which may be arranged in side-by-sid e, end-toendor other relationship or overlapped or superimposed, each motion picture projector having a motor controlled zoom lens and a rotatable toning disc correlatable in their sole and joint movements by motors. remotely actuated by audience participation selection or control means having circuitry including a computer and memory bank whereby the subject matter on three motion picture films can be modified and varied in accordance with audience preference governed or selected by the audience present or stored and retrieved and rescreened' with or without an. audience in a virtually unlimitednumber of mutations.

The triptych cinematographic 'system according. to the present invention is illustrated in thefaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. I is a schematic view of atypical or preferred system as a whole;

FIG. 2 is. an elevational fragmentary view of portions of one projector, zoom lens and toningdisc;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a segmental toningdisc;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the triptych projection screens laterally arranged and showing, a representative response to the audience participation control means; and

FIG. 5 is a modified projection screen arrangement wherein the three, screens are overlapped or superimposed and the projected images are visually and optically combined.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral designates each of three motion picture projectors and while it is possible within the purview of the invention to have a different number of motion picture projectors, the use of three has been found to be best and is preferred and the inventionwill therefore be described with reference. to this best mode of putting the invention into practice.

Each motion picture'projeetor I0 is or can be any standard or suitable known projector, each.v of which has a film or set of films which can be passed therethrough in. theusual way, but in the present system, the subject. matter of the three films is related or interrelated representing; for. instance, three phases of the same theme in concurrent evolution or development of the subject matter and with a common narration. Each motion picture projector 10 is providedwitha zoom lens 11 which is per se well known and which can. be shortened or lengthened (zoomed in the usual manner for closeup, distance and other shots" as desired. Eachprojector 10 is further provided with a toning disc 12, the preferred segmentalform is shown: in detail in FIG. 3, and which is mounted to-be rotated infront of the zoom lens of its projector andiinzthe optical path: between the zoom lens and one of the. projection screens. 13, it being:

understood that the projection. screens are preferably arranged side-by-side adjacent to. one another or if desired, somewhat spaced from one another in a. horizontaldirection and that the motion pictureprojectors 10. are correspondingly arranged as shown in FIG. 1', but: itv is to be understood-that the projection screens 13 may be arrangedin other manners; i.e., vertically disposed with relation to one another instead of horizontally or even angularly insofarv as the noncentral projectionscreens are concerned sothat the end screens will be angularly disposed relative to the planar central screen to obtain special or unusual opticalreffects or. mixing of the-subject matter of the films being projected thereon. As will be mentioned hereinafter, the three screens can be superimposed so that all three films are projected onto the same projection screen area, butwith different variable sizes of pictures and luminous intensities. 7

Each pair or set made up of a zoom lens and a toning disc is driven by. an electric motor M. through suitable gearing and/or reduction gearing as shown in FIG. 2'. For example',-'the zoom lens. 11 can be provided with anex'ternal ring, gear 14 and the toning disc 12 is driven either directly by a gear or gear train 15 with or without an interposed reduction gearing box 16 depending upon' the relative movements desired to be obtained which can be governed in large part by gear ratios. Each toning gear is made up of a transparent or translucent segment 17 somewhat greater than a half-circle which is toned" 'in the sense that the portion marked 100 percent is practically black (deep gray) or dense so that little or almost no light can be transmitted therethrough and this gradually lightens towards the portion marked 0 percent (pale gray) where there is very little or almost no visual or optical obstruction to the passage of projected rays (see rays R in FIG FIG. 2) so'that depending upon factors to be hereinafter explained, each toning disc can have a preselected relationship to the related zoom lens and motion picture camera and film. The arcuate distance from 100 percent to 0 percent on the toning disc 17 as shown in FIG. 3 is 180. A disc of 360 can alternatively be employed. In addition to the related control'of the zoom lenses and toning discs, the three motion picture projectors are synchronously interconnected and operated by any suitable or appropriate means.

Thus, it will be seen from the description so far and as the preferred arrangement, there are three motion picture projectors which are adapted to be operated synchronously, each projector has a zoom lens which can be operated to change distance" or provide closeups, etc., and with each such zoom lens, there is operatively associated a toning disc of the nature described and which modifies the light received by the projection screens in a way to be described and'with a wide possibility of variation depending upon audience preference. The arrangement is exceedingly versatile and flexible and lends itself to a variety of programmings, screenings, audience reaction tests and researches, etc.

One of the important and highly significant features of the present invention is the combination with the equipment just described of what are for convenience termed audience participation selection meansjln FIG. 1, three selection panels or boxes 17 are shown with the understanding that there is one such panel for every person in a given audience and the audience may be of any number ranging from a relative few, such as 10 or 20, up. into the hundreds oreven thousandsand one of the selection panels l7is provided for each member of the audience in any suitablemanner, such as by mounting or hanging the same on the. seat or arm of the seat or on the seat infront, such being a matter of convenience for the'particular set up. Each control panel 17 is provided with threeselection buttons a, b and c, any one-of whichcan be actuated or pushed in by the member-of the audience, and it will further be seen that suitable wiring or circuitry including the electrical conductors 18 lead from the selection panels 17. Each of the actuating buttons is electronically related to one of the three projection screens inthat actuation by the audience of these selection buttons causes electrical pulses to enter the input section 19 of computer 20 after proportional tabulation and timed delay and to exit from the output section 21 of such computer into a relay bank 22 leading to motors M. The usual memory devices may be contained in the computer so as to store therewithin the patterns or reactions of audiences where it is desired to compare reactions of different audiences, for

example, or the same audience under other conditions and tokeep the reactions of a given audience or type of audience, but furthermore from the relay bank impulses go to-the motors M which affect the actuation of the zoom lenses and-toning discs already described and the entire arrangement is such that while each individual. member of a given audience has three choices as will be apparent, the results of the actuation of buttons a, b or c is in accordance with the majority vote. Thus, assuming purely for the sake of example and without any limitative or restrictive intent, that there are people in the audience and assuming that 50 people (SO'percent') press button a, 30 people (30 percent) press button b and 20 people (20 percent) press button c, the toning and visual effects appearing on the left-hand screen of FIG. 1 will correspo nd to the lefthand screen in FIG. 4 wherein the nume ra 13 now represents only a border area and the central portion 13' represents what is projected on that screen in response to .the preference of 50 percent of the audience and while area 13' for other reasons does not necessarily have to represent 50 percent of the screen area or the largest of the three projections on the screens, such represents the preferred embodiment of the invention. Similarly, central screen 13 has a much smaller image area 13" and right-hand screen 13 has the smallest image ,area 13" because fewest people in the audience actuated button 0. In this way changes in luminosity, sizes of images or backgrounds, closeups or distant views, different colors or color intensities and many variables can be controlled by the audience depending upon audience preference and the number of people in the audience who press the respective buttons a, b or c. As'a consequence, what is being viewed by the audience can be changed, varied or modified in several respects which can be integrated into the narration if desired so that the audience can be instructed from time to time that it would be appropriate to actuate a button or, alternatively, members of the audience can actuate a button a, b or c at any time when that particular member of the audience desires some alteration or modification of what is appearing on the projection screens. The manner andtimes for the changes can be made either before the show by verbal instructions to the audience or. written instructions can be provided so that each member of the audience will know what will occur when a given button a, b or c is actuated or preferably undirected and uncontrolled audience reaction is obtained. Thus on given subjects, problems, matters to be voted upon or any other subject where the response or reaction of an audience is desired, the present system is applicable and in addition to the alterations occurring on the projection screens as a result of the actuation of the buttons a, b or c, the entire audience response can be stored in the memory bank of the computer and can be retrieved along with other audience reactions or votes for comparative, educational or many other purposes. The particularnature of the computer 20 and relay bank 22 require no description because these are standard items available on the market and'consequently the invention resides in the unique overall combination offeatures and the audience participation control and recording thereof. Such information can be used for the making of future films, for advertising purposes, for determining product preference and a great variety of artistic, cultural, commercial and educational purposes.

. FIG. represents a modified form of the invention wherein the images from the films passing through the three motion picture projectors are converged on a single projection screen 13 instead of on three separate screens as in the. previously described form of the invention. In combination with the use of a single screen and the associated zoom lenses and toning discs,-composite, combinational and other types of special screenings are possible. The image areas are designated as l3, l3" and 13"" to indicate that they are the same as or very similar to the screens and image areas of FIG. 4.

In a more general sense, the cinematographic system of the present invention can be widely changed and modified to carry out a variety of different concepts for different purposes. Thus, the three motion picture projectors can use three related films, the subject matter of which is preferably, but not necessarily. related in that one film has background or distance" subject matter, another has closeup or portraitlike subject matter and the third film can have continuously changing and developing design matter, it being understood, as alplayed by a synchronized but not variable separate unit. Moreover, each of the three films is so produced that it presents a different point of view of the same basic message or theme even while being integrated and by way of illustration the three films can show three different'versions of the same story or three like versions up to a given point beyond which three different endings are possible or the three films provide three different perspectives of the same action as if being witnessed by different people from different points or location's or the three films can represent interrelated aspects of the same underlying or unitary concept or alternatively three contrasting interpretations thereof.

More specifically, one of the three films contain a documen tary sequence of facts showing people, 'machines and products; another film presents the logical demonstration of the theories or concepts underlying the facts and creative visualization and computer graphic development of the thesis and the third film represents a dramatization of the psychological factors by means of abstract designs, landscapes, unique happenings with special optical effects and generally the creation of a psychodynamic climate or ambiance. These three films in a particular embodiment of carrying out th e'invention and the use of the above described equipment can be projected in such manner that the subject matter on the three films is simultaneously screened from three standard projectors in interlock equipped with toning discs and motor driven zoom lenses on three standard adjacent screens arranged sideby-side in horizontal alignment or endwise of one another in vertical alignment or disposed in a folding arrangement wherein one screen is at an angle to the ceiling, another screen is in a vertical position and the third screen is at an angle to the floor or in any other physical relationship, it being understood that the projectors while interlocked and synchronized, can nevertheless be directed wherever desired and wherever the screens are located, and during projection the audience, by

means of the selector panel above described, casts votes for its preference and the computer collects the votes and proportionally fluctuates the luminosity, size, focus, closeup or distance and other characteristics of the three projections. The prominence of any one of the films depends on the voting controls and the audiences preference and the most popular film or subject matter becomes the most luminous and covers all or substantially all the surface of its respective screen and can even overflow onto an adjacent screen to give extreme closeups to make the projection, for instance, up to several times full screen size and transparent overlappings, whereas the least preferred film as governed by the audiences selection will fade and become reduced in size to about a TV screen, the third film having intermediate characteristics as will be appreciated from FIG. 4 described above. All the projections can, furthermore, fluctuate in luminosity and with changing distancesfidue to movements of the zoom lenses and the viewing of these fluctuations, may be a spectacle in itself. It will further be understood that the least favored film as determined by the audiences preference or selection may become so small and so pale or faint in appearance that the audience may wish to react with a recall vote which can be readily carried out.

As already explained, the results of the audience participation control or selection can be put into a memory bank by known software for comparison with reactions of other audiences or even for subsequent reaction of the same audience to reveal significant patterns or test results which can be retrieved from the computer in known manner. In a modified form of the invention, the computer can be programmed for a preselected automated multiprojection even without audience participation and the versatility and flexibility of the system will, therefore, be more fully appreciated. In addition, the equipment can be operated in a different manner while still using three standard motion picture projectors which are interlocked and synchronized, but arranging the same physically so that they all converge on a single standard screen whereby the audience participation control means or the automated pickups and selection of films and projection conditions by a director in accordance with his own views as how the system" should beused most effectively. If desired, the three films can be reproduced as an integral film on a single standard format,

for regular projection on a standard screen or the three films can each be projected independently one at a time or in any combination without any special provisions or equipment. The

system consequently represents a significant tool for the determination of audience reactions, audience preferences and for various phases of psychodynamic communication. In general, however, the three cinematographic interpretations of, any

technological subjects and esthetics in rhythmic or nonrhythmic progressions and interpretations through music and a romantic atmosphere.

What I claim is:

lQ'A' cinematographic system comprising three driven motion picture-projectorseach of which is provided with a zoom "lens, a-rotatable toning disc in front of the zoom lens, each projector being adapted for the passage of a film therethrough the subject matter on which is projected onto a projection screen or screen areas, means for synchronizing the operation 1 of the projectors, means for correlating movements of the zoom lenses with rotation of the toning discs, and audience participation selection and control means for causing proportional variations in. the zoom lenses and toning discs for effecting mutations in the projections on the screens.

2. Acinematographic system according toclaim l in which the-three projectors are arranged side-by-side for projection on similarly arranged screens.

3.-A cinematographic system according to claim 1 in which the three projectors are arranged for convergent projection on a single screen or screen area.

. given subject are simultaneously projected on separate but ada I jac'ent screens, one of which shows people, machines, objects, etc. in stylized or abstract form, graphic evolutions of 4. A cinematographic system according to claim 1 in which the audience participation control means includes selection panel boxes having a pushbutton corresponding to each projector and computer means interposed between the panel boxes and the correlating motor means for the zoom lenses and toning discs and electrical circuit forming conductors completing the system. 

1. A cinematographic system comprising three driven motion picture projectors each of which is provided with a zoom lens, a rotatable toning disc in front of the zoom lens, each projector being adapted for the passage of a film therethrough the subject matter on which is projected onto a projection screen or screen areas, means for synchronizing the operation of the projectors, means for correlating movements of the zoom lenses with rotation of the toning discs, and audience participation selection and control means for causing proportional variations in the zoom lenses and toning discs for effecting mutations in the projections on the screens.
 2. A cinematographic system according to claim 1 in which the three projectors are arranged side-by-side for projection on similarly arranged screens.
 3. A cinematographic system according to claim 1 in which the three projectors are arranged for convergent projection on a single screen or screen area.
 4. A cinematographic system according to claim 1 in which the audience participation control means includes selection panel boxes having a pushbutton corresponding to each projector and computer means interposed between the panel boxes and the correlating motor means for the zoom lenses and toning discs and electrical circuit forming conductors completing the system. 